The lowdown on what’s up with neighborhood businesses

Hot tamales

La Popular’s new third location at Peak & Elm

By popular demand, the founders of La Popular Tamale House in Old East Dallas are opening their third location, Peak & Elm Cocina Y Bar, at — you guessed it — the corner of Peak and Elm. The grand opening is set for Feb. 8. Since the original La Popular Tamale House location is simply a to-go spot, Jesse Moreno Jr., son of La Popular founder Jesse Moreno Sr., says their costumers have long requested a place to sit down and dine. Moreno says they are taking great pains to preserve the historic aspect of the location, including naming it Peak & Elm so they could keep the original sign out front, which marks where the streetcar ran once upon a time.

Centennial changes ownership after

bankruptcy The Centennial on Lower Greenville, one of Dallas’ oldest liquor retailers, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December because of $6 million in debt to BBVA Compass Bank, plus $4.4 million to the area’s biggest wine and liquor wholesalers. It appears that Cheers Spirits & Liquor, a small North Texas retailer, wants to buy the Centennial on Lower Greenville as part of a deal to purchase 13 other Centennial stores in Dallas and Tarrant counties, and plans to operate all the stores under the Cheers name. The TABC was expected to decide by the end of January whether Cheers will be allowed to transfer the liquor license.

All-night emergency pet care

Hillside Veterinary Clinic is now offering emergency pet care 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Plus, there’s no added charge for late-night visits. To accommodate the new hours, Dr. Kyle Smith was hired at Hillside as the primary veterinarian for the graveyard shift.

Green Grocer grand opening

Green Grocer Dallas hosted its grand opening party Jan. 26. The newest entrant to the neighborhood grocery scene originally had planned a fall 2012 opening, but ran into some parking permit issues that held up construction for weeks, according to owner Cassie Green. The 3,500-square-foot store is the company’s second; its original is in Chicago. Like the Chicago store, the Dallas store’s emphasis is on local and organic offerings. Green Grocer is already working with some of our neighborhood’s food artisans, for example, collaborating with Wackym’s Kitchen and Carnival Barker ice cream.

Construction on the new Austin-based coffee shop Houndstooth should begin sometime in February. Until then, the space at the southeast corner of Skillman and Oram will be fully occupied by framing store Gallery Central.

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